Where should I keep my will?
Probably the best place to keep the original of your will is with your lawyer. Keep a copy
for yourself, and put your lawyer's name, address and phone number on it so your survivors
will know how to contact the attorney when you die. If you don't want your attorney to
have the original of your will, you can keep it at home. Only do so if you have a safe
that can't be broken into, or destroyed by fire. Keeping the original of the will in a
bank safe deposit box is OK, but only if your survivors could get to it quickly when you
die. Access policies differ from one bank to the next. A survivor can get immediate access
if his or her name is on the box rental agreement. If it's not, the bank may not open it
until a tax agent shows up or a court order is presented, either of which could take weeks
or even months. An alternative would be to store the original in a safe deposit box held
by your executor. The catch: If the executor dies before you do, you'll have to start
looking for a place to store it all over again.